Never Again
by Writer-by-day
Summary: What if willow got shot instead of Tara and an old heat came to town? Based on “never again” by Nickelback, please R
1. Chapter 1

_**NEVER AGAIN**_

_**Hi readers this is my first Tara Oz fic so lemme know how I'm doing so far I really am starting to like it and a new chapter is coming soon. promise**_

_**Disclaimer: don't own or profit wheldonishness or the characters owned by joss wheldon or mutant enemy, if I did the show would still be on. **_

_**What if willow got shot instead of Tara and an old heat came to town? Based on "never again" Nickelback **_

Tara stood there frozen. Still. It didn't feel like anytime had passed since Willow had been shot. Not a second. Willow's surprised look after being shot was still clutching to the back of her memory.

Even now as she stood beside the open grave; slightly separated by the crowd. The sun shone through the leaves of the oak tree above making the whole scene seem even more surreal and dreamlike. She still felt like her Willow was gonna come out from behind the trees, wrap her warm arms around her shoulders and whisper con soulments into her ear.

Tara sighed and crossed her arms trying to save some heat in the cool shade. She watched for a second as the priest read from the book and moved on, she would do the Wiccan ceremony tonight.

Her eyes landed on Willow's beloved friends. The scooby's. Xander was wiping tears from his eyes and Buffy was consoling Dawn. Giles's face like stone though tears glistened going down his cheeks. Then she went back to staring at the tree.

She wondered idly why she had yet to shed a tear. Maybe she was in what they called shock. Maybe this was her punishment for killing her mother. _No she didn't kill her mother. Her father had. _But this exact scene was so familiar to her right down to the priest, weather and crying friends and relatives. Just like 13 years ago… and just like thirteen years ago she had yet to shed a tear.

Tara shook her head. No. She had promised herself that she would never think of that day again… Tara shuddered the shade was starting to get cold. She glanced around the group again. Something was different. She glanced around again. Someone new was standing in the back of the crowd. His aura was a midnight blue colour. She had never seen that before.

Well actually she had. Only once. The night she had thought she lost Willow forever. But he left, not a letter or E-mail. Nothing.

Tara was torn from her thoughts as Dawn had walked up beside her and was giving her a wet hug. The priest had finished and was now lowering the casket into the earth. Tara watched carefully, wondering when Willow was gonna pop out of the bushes grinning and yelling April Fools! And explaining to her that there was nothing in it.

There was a dull thud as the casket hit the bottom of the grave.

Tara waited.

The priest sprinkled some holy water and said a prayer in Latin.

Tara waited.

The priest started walking away with the rest of the concession.

Tara waited.

They started burying the casket.

Tara waited.

Dawn gave her a hug and left for home.

Tara waited.

Dusk fell the moon rose in the sky. Though she didn't see any of this. She didn't care. Finally she tore her eyes off the mound of dirt and noticed that there was one other person there. Standing further away brow furrowed.

He looked up and Tara got her first look at Willow's first. He was pale stubbly faced and had blue hair. He was wearing some cargo pants a Metallica tee shirt with a jean jacket over top.

He was the first to speak, which suited her just fine. "I'll leave if you need..." he offered motioning towards the van in the parking lot. Tara shook her head. "You can stay. It's alright." the conversation was awkward, as it should have been. Tara's thoughts flickered on being chased down by the werewolf. She shivered self-consciously. She realized that she had been looking at the ground and looked up.

Oz was studying her face. "How did you hear?" she asked trying to feel less awkward. "Dawn called. Don't really know how she got the number." Oz said looking down. "'She would have been glad you came." Tara said nodding. Oz smiled softy, it was the first time she had ever seen him do so, sure it was a small sad smile but it was a smile.

Suddenly it all sank in. she was gone and she wasn't coming back. "I-I need to leave, or walk or something." Tara said her heart falling out of her chest and into her stomach where it welled up like a balloon, hot tears formed in the back of her eyes. And she walked away; she took long strides, her soft leather boots hitting the dewy grass in silence.

Oz watched as her mousy long brown hair whipped around in the crisp night air. He knew how she felt. Though she wasn't heading for home. He frowned, she was shaking. He looked up at the darkening sky and caught the first sniff of the on coming rain. Suddenly he found himself going after her. Her sadness was coming off in waves. And the rain was starting to fall.

_**Thanks for reading the first chap and a new one is coming soon, please review! And yep me and cliffhangers have a history so get used to it! Lol.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi all, I know a lot of you have been anxiously awaiting a new chapter for this one! I apologize for taking so long I know it's been like 3 months or so but this chapter needed a lot of work. A new one will be coming very fast however because I got the characters out of the graveyard finally! Yay! I would also like to thank all the wonderful reviewers and HiddenOperaAngel for the correct spelling of Weldon, heh ya big fan not a big speller as some of u can tell. I would also like to thank her for all the lovely reviews and for the fanism! Woot! **_

_**For those of you who would like to know. Lunar Phases should be updated in the next couple-a-weeks too, the new chaper should be really good so yeah…. **_

_**Kay I know you guys know that this fic is based on 'Never Again' by Nickelback but I decided to add another song because I love this song. so there. Ha you can't stop me!**_

_**Disclaimer. don't own any Weldon characters or anything by Mutant Enemy if I did I would get Oz back on tv hahaha**_

_**Disclaiming the song too: don't own the song, so don't sue me… it's by the Offspring… I love it! I really think those of you who like the lyrics should check it out. The Offspring's greatest hits c.d. came out a month ago and it's my favorite c.d. at the moment. The song is called 'Gone Away' and I don't own that or anything made produced etc… by the band The Offspring…. Sigh all done now, here's the new chappie!**_

_CHAPTER 2: IF LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND WHY AM I STILL SPINNING?_

Oz ran to catch up with Tara. The rain came down in sheets. He slipped on the wet grass and almost fell before he caught up with her. Her pale white arms were shaking and dripping with water as he approached. He walked behind her for a second, wondering if he should really be there. Finally he took a large step and put his hand on her shoulder. His mind flashed with the memory of Willow, smiling up at him. She wouldn't want him to ignore her. But she took his Will away.

_Maybe in another life  
I could find you there  
Pulled away before your time  
I can't deal, it's so unfair  
_

Tara turned around when she felt the heat of Oz's hand. She stared at him for a second, tears mixed with rain drops were dripping off her chin. Her chest heaving with pent up sobs. Her wet hair stuck to her face. Then she made an attempt to keep moving, but Oz held on.

_And it feels, and it feels like  
Heaven's so far away  
And it feels, yeah it feels like  
The world has grown cold  
Now that you've gone away  
_

"hey…" he said quietly. He looked into her eyes, striking green eyes hitting hazel. At first all that he could sense was sadness, deep and cold. Then he caught a hint of fear and imedatly released her, remembering the last time he had encountered the tall medium built women. Remembering the attack. "I'm sorry" he sad finally." Tara hadn't moved. She stared into his eyes.

_Leaving flowers on your grave  
To show that I still care  
But black roses and Hail Mary's  
Can't bring back what's taken from me  
_

He was different. Sure he was a man, but he wasn't silly like Xander or 'posh' like Spike. He was defiantly NOT like her father. He was so calm. She wondered idly if that's why Willow had chose him, but her mind flashed with the figure of her dead girlfriend on the carpet splattered with blood… she shuttered, breaking eye contact and settled back onto staring at her shoes.

_  
I reach to the sky  
And call out your name  
And if I could trade  
I would  
_

Tara waited another few seconds and noticed how sick Oz looked. "don't be, it just hit me back there that she… wasn't coming back. Then I remembered what happened that night and it just became too much" She said shyly. She wasn't too used to talking with guys and she hoped she had said something right.

_And it feels, and it feels like  
Heaven's so far away  
And it stings, yeah it stings now  
The world is so cold  
Now that you've gone away  
_

Oz nodded, "understandable." He smiled slightly at her through the rain. He noticed that she was shivering and offered her his coat, which she took gratefully. Do you want a ride home it's kinda dark and I didn't see a car." Oz asked looking around.

_Gone away, gone away, yeah yeah yeah..._

Tara was about to nod when she thought of something. She no longer had a home. She and Willow lived at the Summer's residence. Now that Willow was gone and she had sold her apartment again, she was stuck with nowhere to go. She looked up at Oz whos gaze had wandered to where Willow was now buried, his eyes had misted over. Tara wondered what he could have possibly been thinking, asking his ex's ex if she needed a ride home. She suddenly realized how dark it was. Rain was still pouring from the dark sky. A full moon peaked through the back clouds. Suddenly she panicked. Full moon, Willow gone. She was with a man that had attacked her, and Willow was gone… Willow…. Gone?

_I reach to the sky  
And call out your name  
Oh please let me trade  
I would  
_

Oz clued in right before Tara collapsd. He made sure her head didn't collide with the nearest headstone. He held her above the wet grass and called her name in an attempt to wake her up. She was stone cold and he could tell she was under a lot of stress. He took his jacket off her body and draped it over top of his head and the rest of her body as he carried her to his old V.W. He took an old woolen blanket from the back seat and wraped it around her before placing her gently on the back seat. He sighed suddenly realizing what he had done. Would she want this? Where would he take her? His gaze went back to the grave where Willow was buried. What do you want me to do? He asked in a small but pained voice.

_And it feels, and it feels like  
Heaven's so far away  
And it feels, yeah it feels like  
The world has grown cold  
Now that you've gone away  
_

Finally he decided to take her back to his parent's old house, at least until she was able to wake up. As he drove away the rain recieted and the moon came into full view. He couldn't help but think what Willow would say catching him during a full moon driving her girlfriend to his house collapsed in the back seat. The wolf mingled with his thoughts and he took in Tara's scent. She smelt like lavender and rain. But under all that she smelt like her. It was at that point that he realized he would never smell her again, her beautiful Willow scent. He had lost her all over again. He couldn't help wonder if the girl in the back seat was going through something similar. She was different somehow from the girl he had met 3 and a half years ago, less shy and selfconscious. He knew that was Willow's doing. For the first time in days he wondered if Willow really was still alive, in apart of the girl… Tara. Maybe they had more in common then they thought. Or maybe it was just the wolf talking. He wondered idly if this was what Willow had planned all along. He shook his heard trying to clear his fogged mind and switched off the wipers before taking the familier turn away from the graveyard and towards the coming dawn. He could smell it just below the horizon.

_Gone away, gone away, yeah yeah yeah..._

_**So that's all folks! Review the new chapter is coming soon and I hope you guys enjoyed it! The next chap should be really good hopefully, I've already started work on it so review and I might go faster!**_

_**W-B-D!**_


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